Just a few little tweaks here.
And we've got it.
What is this little machine exactly?
And is that your face on it?
Pamela, meet the Ribot.
The Ribot was built to mimic my behaviors and actions.
Why?
Just why?
Why do we need this?
I heard Disney's building an AI humanoid, so I wanted to get the jump.
Watch.
Hi, Rybot.
Hi, Pamela.
Hello, Rybot.
We need to start the show.
Would you please do my chores for me?
Hello, Ryan.
No, I will not be doing any chores today, but I will be playing video games!
That Rybot is a little too lifelike.
I'm Pamela Kirkland.
And I'm Ryan Willard.
It's Thursday, April 24th.
This is 10 Things You Need to Know.
We're kicking things off with some weather or not.
The US has had its fair share of wild weather lately, and it doesn't seem to be slowing down anytime soon.
La Nina, a natural climate pattern that can influence weather worldwide, has come to an end.
Although the atmosphere started showing signs of La Nina last fall, the cooler than average Pacific Ocean temperature that typically confirm its presence didn't show up until late in the year.
As a result, La Nina conditions only lasted a few months.
Now we're in a neutral phase where neither La Nina or El Nino is active.
This is expected to continue at least until early fall.
So what does this mean for the weather ahead?
Forecasters predict a busy hurricane season driven by neutral conditions, lingering ocean warmth and the ongoing effects of climate change.
These conditions also make it somewhat challenging to predict temperature and precipitation patterns in the US, but the latest forecasts are already calling for above-average warmth through spring into summer.
So I'm going to guess that you built the Ribot because you were inspired by Disney research.
That is absolutely correct.
Human Ryan is talking.
Thank you.
And yes, Pam, Ribot was inspired by Disney research.
Speaking of... It's tech time.
Tech yourself before you wreck yourself.
Disney Research is the innovation powerhouse behind the Walt Disney Company, and its most recent development is an autonomous humanoid robot that mimics human behaviors and emotions in real time.
Using advanced AI, it can replicate the natural gestures and actions of people.
Plus, it learns by observing and mimicking human operators that guide the robot's emotional responses during interactions, eventually being able to interact with humans.
While this is a super cool technological advancement, it means more for Disney.
The company looks to create a new generation of robotic characters that are more expressive and engaging than ever before and connect with our guests in ways that only Disney can, according to Kyle Laughlin, who is the senior VP of Walt Disney Imagineering, Research and Development.
Well, Disney, my Ribot challenges one of your robots to a ping pong match.
Target eliminated.
And the loser gets a lifetime pass to all the Disney theme parks.
Right?
Maybe we should get out of this world.
Astronauts are often known for their important work to help advance science, but their most recent research might have led to the tastiest discovery yet.
Findings from a recent study called Food Fermentation in Space highlights the difference in taste between miso fermented on Earth versus miso fermented in the International Space Station.
Miso, a staple for Japanese cooking, is a fermented soybean taste with lots of flavor that is used for dishes like miso soup and condiments like salad dressing and so much more.
The experiment began with three batches of miso starter sent to three different locations aboard the ISS in the US to Cambridge, Massachusetts and to the capital of Denmark, Copenhagen.
The Cambridge and ISS samples were placed in sensing boxes to track temperature, humidity and radiation, while the Copenhagen sample stayed in a regular container to see if the box or space environment affected the miso.
After 30 days, researchers found the space-fermented miso had microbes, a darker color and a nutty roasted flavor.
These findings, according to Joshua Evans, a food scientist at the Technical University of Denmark, says could enhance astronaut well-being and performance, plus expand and diversify culinary and cultural representation in space exploration.
Space ice cream is a favorite food of mine, so I'm definitely down for some space miso.
Now back down on Earth lives this animal for 10 points.
Can you name it?
We've got some heartwarming news about a herd of elephants at the San Diego Safari Park.
A video shot of an elephant enclosure captured the moment when a 52 magnitude earthquake shook the ground and sprung the animals into action.
The video shows the older elephants Ndula, Umgani and Kosi forming a circle around two 7-year-old baby elephants, Zuli and Micaiah, to protect them.
They stayed huddled for several minutes as the older elephants were spreading and flapping their ears and standing ready to defend the babies from any possible threats.
The video beautifully showcases the intelligence and deep social bonds elephants are known for.
Especially when two of the elephants are seen tapping one of the babies on the back and face with their trunks, as if they were telling them that everything's okay.
We've got a story about helping hands in Chelsea, Michigan.
Local residents, from kids to grown-ups, formed a human chain to help a local bookstore relocate to a new storefront about a block away.
Coined as the Book Brigade.
Roughly 300 people stood in two lines along a sidewalk in downtown Chelsea, passing 9100 books, one by one, from Serendipity Books' former location directly to the shelves in the new building.
With the help of the community, the task took just under two hours to complete, proving to be much less expensive and quicker than hiring a moving company.
The books were even placed in alphabetical order at the new store.
And as people passed the books along, store owner Michelle Tuplin overheard people discovering books they've never read before and rediscovering ones they've enjoyed.
That is the kind of feel-good story that makes me want to take a quick break.
Hey Tenors, there's been a lot going on with the US government the tariffs, federal programs being cut and concerns about the economy.
And we're curious, how are any of these things affecting you?
Has it changed the way your family shops or have you had to change your family habits?
Any impact on your schools?
We'd love to hear from you.
You can email us at hello at the10news.com or leave us a voicemail at 877-10NEWS.
Now, back to the show.
We are back with some epic news from Orlando.
Florida.
In about a month, Universal will officially open the doors to its newest theme park, the first major theme park in the Florida area in 25 years.
Epic Universe will feature five themed worlds.
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, the Ministry of Magic, Dark Universe, How to Train Your Dragon, the Isle of Berk, Celestial Park and, of course, Super Nintendo World.
It also takes the cake as the largest of all Universal properties covering a total of 750 acres.
Epic Universe is now the third theme park in Orlando alongside Disney World and Universal.
And in its first year of operation, it's projected that the theme park will create more than 17500 jobs and will likely generate around 2 billion for the state of Florida.
Florida is going to get my money because I cannot wait to experience the epic universe.
Let's jump into the wide world of sports.
Women's college basketball sensation Paige Beckers is your 2025 WNBA number one draft pick.
Following just eight days after leading the UConn Huskies to the NCAA championship, Beckers was selected by the Dallas Wings.
In her time at the University of Connecticut she averaged 198 points a game, shooting 53 from the field and 42 on three-pointers.
Plus helped end the school's nine-year drought of winning a national title in her last game ever as a Husky.
The WNBA draft consisted of three rounds and 38 overall picks, with other notable female athletes like Notre Dame's Sonia Citroen and Southern California's Kiki Iriafan, who were picked up by the Washington Mystics in the third and fourth round.
Plus 19-year-old, Just Josite became the first draft pick taken in the history of the newest WNBA team, the Golden State Valkyries, who will kick off its first season this year.
Now on to a different matchup.
Trump. versus Harvard.
Harvard is America's oldest university and part of the Ivy League, an elite set of schools, and it's in a big fight with the Trump administration.
Let's catch you up.
At the start of the month, the Trump administration decided that it didn't like how Harvard was doing things, mainly supporting DEI efforts in its hiring and admissions and not standing up to anti-Semitism and anti-Muslim activities on campus.
Just a reminder, anti-Semitism is hostility to or prejudice against Jewish people.
And anti-Muslim is the same against people who are Muslim.
Not okay and not what anyone wants to see happening at a place like Harvard or really anywhere in the world.
But this is where things get complicated.
President Trump demanded that Harvard change how it chooses students and teachers, limit campus activism, especially pro-Palestinian events, and share private information about international students.
Harvard said, no way.
The school's leaders believe these demands break the rules about freedom of speech and how schools should be able to run without the government telling them what to do.
In response, the Trump administration paused more than 2 billion in government money that usually goes to Harvard for research, threatened that they might take away Harvard's special tax status and warned that they might not be allowed to enroll international students unless it agrees to the new rules.
Harvard is not taking this lying down.
On Monday, they sued the Trump administration, saying the government was acting unlawfully.
Other universities and education groups are watching closely to see what happens next.
And some sad news this week.
Pope Francis, the 266th pope, who was the head of the worldwide Catholic Church, passed away on Monday, April 21st.
Pope Francis will be remembered for his humility and advocacy for society's most vulnerable.
Pope Francis was the first pope to address the U.S.
Congress and took the opportunity to call on politicians to embrace immigrants and accept people who travel north in search of a better life.
And in a powerful moment in 2019, Pope Francis bent down to kiss the feet of South Sudan's warring leaders, whom he invited to the Vatican to plead for peace between the two sides.
The pope was a kind leader and will be missed by many.
A new pope will be elected to replace Pope Francis in the next 20 days.
Rest in power, Pope Francis.
And now for the last thing you need to know, let's go to our trivia master, Owen.
What is going on here?
Trivia of the Ten.
Thanks, Rye.
A buried treasure was recently discovered in Transylvania... thanks to the use of a metal detector.
Aside from treasure hunting, do you know where metal detectors are most commonly used?
Is it A, beaches, B, airports, C, backyards, or D, parks?
The answer is B, the airports.
Metal detectors are a standard security measure and are used to prevent prohibited items from being taken onto airplanes.
Anyways, back to our buried treasure story.
Two men with metal detectors came across jewelry that originally belonged to the Dacian people who inhabited what's now known as Transylvania and some of the surrounding areas in the 1st century BCE.
Wait, I can find actual treasure digging holes?!
!
Yup, the treasure weighed 550 grams altogether, which is about a pound, and included silver brooches, a bracelet decorated with plant motifs, a chain necklace and a belt constructed out of circular metallic pendants marked with solar symbols.
Pam!
We're going metal detecting this summer!
And that was 10 Things You Need to Know.
And that was 10 Things You Need to Know.
Hey, stop taking Pam's lines.
Don't tell me what to do.
Rybot, do not vacuum the studio.
That's Ryan's job.
Oh, really?
I will do what I want.
Pam, that was brilliant.
It's not the first time I've had to outsmart you.
You mean the Rybot?
Sure.
Oh, we should give ten new snaps to one of our listeners.
But first, here's a quick note for the grown-ups.
It's time for 10 new steps.
Over on Apple Podcasts, an unnamed tenor said, Awesome podcast.
Must watch.
I am the, quote, unnamed tenor from the Switch 2 episode.
My name is John Cena.
What?
John Cena left us a review?
Then he said, Just kidding.
Subscribe to Rye Will on YouTube.
Okay, that was an emotional roller coaster.
That unnamed tenor got me in so many different ways.
Oh, okay, here's one.
Kitty the Witch said, I love this show.
I love kittens and birth... No, no, no.
Thank you, Kitty the Witch.
And two extra notes for the grown-ups.
You can now get ad-free versions of our episodes when you join the Tenors Club on our website.
And if you want to help support The Ten News, you can make a tax-deductible donation at the link in our show notes.
The whole team thanks you for your support.
The 10 News is a co-production of Small But Mighty Media and Next Chapter Podcast and part of the Airwave Podcast Network.
The 10 News creative team is thinking about going to Florida to tour the epic universe this summer and includes Tracy, Notta Crooks, Adam the Great Bambino Bernard, Brian Not Ryan Douglas and Carson Not-So-Harry Potter.
Big thanks to Owen Not Slowing Down for anybody.
Our production director is Jeremiah Onfaya-Tittle and our executive producers are Donald Albright Albright, Albright and show creator Tracy Takes the Leads Kaplan.
I'm Pamela Kirkland.
And I'm Ryan Willard.
Thanks for listening to The 10 News.
